Pakistan yet to respond to Afghanistan’s APTICA meeting request

The Afghan Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MoCI) is still awaiting Pakistan’s response in regards to holding the seventh Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Issue Contract Agreement (APTICA).

“Suggestion is sent to Pakistan in order to hold the seventh meeting of APTICA. We are waiting for Pakistan’s response about attending the meeting,” said the MoCI spokesman Musafir Qoqandi.

The representatives of both countries are supposed to attend the meeting and confer on violations in trade and transit between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

A number of Afghan businessmen and business analysts slammed the government for failing to resolve problems in this respect.

The MoCI sent the draft of the amended APTICA agreement to Pakistan a year ago and Pakistan has not yet confirmed a meeting date to discuss the agreement.

“The APTICA meeting has not been held yet, but we hope that the amendments are ready and that the meeting is held in Kabul because this time it is Kabul’s turn to host the event and overcome the problems in this respect,” Tolo News quotes Khanjan Alokozay, deputy head of Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI).

This comes as Pakistan unilaterally has blocked Durand line since February 17, chocking off trade and inflicting damages up to USD 90mn.

One factor of the Afghan conflict is the Afghan government's failure to maintain a balance in its foreign policy. The imbalanced foreign policies of governments have paved the ground for Afghanistan to turn into a battlefield of proxy wars.